Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Tuesday that glyphosate, a chemical in many popular weed killers, is not a carcinogen, contradicting decisions by U.S. juries that found it caused cancer in people. The EPA’s announcement reaffirms its earlier findings about the safety of glyphosate, the key ingredient in Bayer’s […] Read more
Glyphosate not a carcinogen, U.S. EPA reiterates
Pulse weekly outlook: Most Canadian pulse acres to decline
Corrected, May 1 — MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers have been projected to plant fewer acres of pulses, according to Statistics Canada. “Keeping in mind this is the seeding intentions report based on a survey of growers from the beginning of March. It’s as current as the day it was collected,” said Carl Potts, executive director […] Read more
No fresh aid package for U.S. farmers planned for now, Perdue says
Washington | Reuters — The Trump administration does not have any active plans to provide more aid to farmers at the moment but can consider the option if the trade negotiations and weak commodity prices linger, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said on Tuesday. “We have been very clear to the agriculture community that […] Read more
Report shows slower pace for rising farmland values
While lower-valued farmland more often showed a higher rate of increase, and price hikes varied from region to region, Canada’s farmland values on average have booked their slowest year-over-year rate of increase in almost a decade. That’s according to the annual Farmland Values Report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC), in which the federal ag lending […] Read more
Trump administration eyes more aid to farmers if necessary
Washington | Reuters — The Trump administration is ready to provide more federal aid to farmers if required, a White House adviser said on Monday, after rolling out up to US$12 billion since last year to offset agricultural losses from the trade dispute with China. “We have allocated $12 billion, some such, to farm assistance. […] Read more
Bayer shareholders vent ire over Monsanto-linked stock rout
Bonn | Reuters — Bayer shareholders vented their anger over its stock price slump on Friday as litigation risks mount from the German drugmaker’s US$63 billion takeover of seed and chemical firm Monsanto. Several large investors said they will not support aspirin invesotr Bayer’s management in a key vote scheduled for the end of its […] Read more
P.E.I.’s incumbent ag critic, minister returned in election
Prince Edward Island’s incumbent agriculture minister and lead opposition critic both held onto their seats in Tuesday’s election but will return to a much different legislative assembly. Dennis King’s opposition Progressive Conservatives captured 12 of 26 available districts to win a minority government. Peter Bevan-Baker’s Greens move up into official opposition with eight seats and […] Read more
Putting seed to the test — it’s not just about germination
A vigour test tells you more, especially in a year like this one that follows a tough harvest
Reading Time: 4 minutes The seed you plant is ground zero for any healthy, profitable crop. So it only makes sense to know as much about it as possible before putting it in the ground. However, a lot of producers are still doing the bare minimum of seed testing, and experts say it’s causing them to miss out. Although […] Read more
Don’t let the crop insurance deadline pass you by
The signup deadline is April 30
Reading Time: < 1 minute The deadline for crop insurance coverage and AgriStability enrolment is fast approaching. The deadline for signing up for the Spring Price Endorsement is April 30, which is also the last day for enrolling in AgriStability without penalty. The Spring Price Endorsement provides protection on a crop-specific basis from ‘within-year’ price declines for both production-based and […] Read more
Canadian farmers to reduce canola plantings by seven per cent
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canadian farmers intend to plant seven per cent fewer acres of canola this spring compared with a year earlier, even less than expected by analysts and traders, as a dispute with China hampers demand, a government report showed on Wednesday. China and Canada are locked in a diplomatic and trade dispute […] Read more